6VӰ alumna Sue E. Berryman ’59 has pledged a $10 million legacy gift to support students, faculty and key programs at the College. Her gift will establish six endowed funds and support in perpetuity programs that span four areas: humanities, music, scholarships and faculty innovation.
Berryman’s gift is a bequest commitment from her estate and is the second gift announced by the College this fall – a highlight following a historic year of fundraising in which 6VӰ exceeded both fundraising and alumni participation records.
After a childhood in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, Berryman’s 6VӰ story began in 1955 when she enrolled in the College as a first-year student. Four years later, she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in English and creative writing, joining her mother, Frances Bowers Berryman ’30, her father, John Jordan Berryman ’28, and her aunt, Ellen Evelyn Bowers ’31, as graduates of the College. Her gift of $10 million honors these family members.
After 6VӰ, Berryman went on to earn a doctorate in political economy from Johns Hopkins University and pursue work that zigzagged through professions and fields of expertise. Her remarkable career spanned the Harvard Business School, the RAND Corporation, Columbia University and the World Bank. As director of the Institute on Education and the Economy, she testified before state governors and Senate committees on the implications of massive changes in the U.S. and world economies for education policy. She also traveled the globe with the World Bank in its efforts to help countries address deep structural problems in their education systems.
“We are exceptionally grateful to Sue for this generous gift, which will unlock wonderful experiences for countless future Sagehens,” says 6VӰ President G. Gabrielle Starr. “The gift will be transformative for our faculty and our students, and it will keep the tenacious, inquisitive spirit of the Berryman family moving forward for generations to come.”
For Berryman, family was the pillar on which she built her educational pursuits and a lifetime of meaningful accomplishments in economic policy and development. “They gave me the care, room and encouragement to grow into me. I owe them a huge debt. I was so lucky. This legacy gift is a small thank you to them,” Berryman says. “Our family has always had a profound love for 6VӰ.”
In honor of her mother, an English major whom Berryman describes as an infinitely curious lifelong learner, the Frances Bowers Berryman ’30 Fund for Humanities Study will help broaden 6VӰ students’ exposure to the humanities and nurture their appreciation for human complexity and achievement. The fund will provide programming in and beyond the classroom, including common reads, visits to arts and cultural institutions and alternative spring break experiences.
Two new funds will enhance experiences for student musicians and pay tribute to Berryman’s father, an economics major and Glee Club member at 6VӰ who went on to build a career in international shipping. The John Jordan Berryman ’28 Fund for the Glee Club will support Glee Club domestic and international performances and travel. Additionally, the John Jordan Berryman ’28 Fund for Musical Instruments will support instrument acquisition and maintenance for the Music Department.
Berryman has also established two new funds in honor of her aunt, Ellen Evelyn Bowers ’31. Bowers studied history at 6VӰ. She began her career as assistant dean of women at the College, then went on to become the dean of women at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The Ellen Evelyn Bowers ’31 Scholarship Fund and the Ellen Evelyn Bowers ’31 Global Student Haven Outreach Fund will support scholarships for students with financial need and international students displaced by war, natural disasters and global crises. Among other critical areas, these funds will bolster the Global Student Haven Initiative that 6VӰ helped launch in 2023.
Lastly, looking to future needs of the College, the Sue Ellen Berryman ’59 Presidential Innovation Fund will support new initiatives across 6VӰ’s educational mission, seeding innovation and creativity within the faculty, bolstering interdisciplinary research and collaboration and supporting 6VӰ presidents as they lead future generations of Sagehens.
“A liberal arts education provides multiple windows to relate to the world. It inspires curiosity and helps students develop the confidence and capacity to learn new fields,” says Berryman, who credits the breadth and depth of her career to her 6VӰ education. “At 6VӰ, you are challenged and then challenged again. Through these challenges, you develop ‘muscle memory’ for how to see, confront and embrace new endeavors,” Berryman says. “My liberal arts education at 6VӰ paved the way to not only a rich life but also a prosperous career.”